Stallone, Two Photographers Dispute Beverly Hills Car Chase

Sylvester Stallone and two photographers offered widely varying versions Thursday of a wild, early-morning car chase that started outside a Sunset Boulevard bar and led to a Beverly Hills police report accusing the movie star and his bodyguard of assault with a deadly weapon: their cars.

The photographers, who were not identified by police, claimed that Stallone and bodyguard Gary Compton crashed into their car during a chase that ended when Stallone’s Mercedes-Benz 500 SL spun out on Doheny Drive just north of Santa Monica Boulevard.

Stallone contended through his lawyer, Martin Singer, that a paparazzi photographer struck his car outside a West Hollywood bar and left the scene without stopping.

When Stallone sped after the car to get its license number, the driver crashed into the actor’s Mercedes at least three times and drove away, Singer said.

“It was like an excerpt out of the ‘French Connection,’ ” Stallone told the Associated Press.

A report to Beverly Hills police claimed, however, that it was Stallone and Compton who crashed their cars into the photographers’ automobile in a 2-mile chase in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

They said Stallone, behind the wheel of his Mercedes, drove after them, followed by the bodyguard in a Nissan 300ZX.

The photographers told police their Honda Civic was struck several times.

Lt. Frank Salcido said the results of an investigation will be turned over to the district attorney’s office, which will determine if any charges will be filed.